Understanding God's Word Through Practice
June 14, 2023Charles H. Spurgeon once said, “The benefit of reading must come to the soul by the way of understanding.” He was commenting on how to read the Bible and was emphasizing the importance of knowing what you are reading in the Bible in order for it to make a true impact in your life. Any of us can read the Bible and miss the true meaning of what we are reading. We may be in a hurry. We may treat the Bible too casually. We may not have the right resources to find the correct answers. We may even miss the point because we refuse to accept what the truth requires of us. The reasons are many, but the result is the same: we don’t understand what the Bible really says and means.
So how can we be Christians who “accurately handle the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) and correctly understand what it is saying? Much could be said, but I offer you one thought to chew on. Practice. Yes, practice. Just like bank tellers know counterfeit money by constantly handling real money, Christians can spot misunderstandings and misapplications of God’s word by continually “handling” God’s word. Of course we must correctly handle God’s word when we practice, but just reading God’s word over and over will keep our hearts trained towards truth.
If you want some more tools to help strengthen your reading and understanding skills, join us Wednesday nights (7-8 p.m.) during the month of June as we study the book of Jude together.